Chell



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

N. L. BUROHBLL.

TELEPHONE.

Patented Jan. '7, 1896.

ANDREW IIMHAM. PHMDWQVMEMNGNNJC.

{No Model.) V 2 Sheets-Sl1eet 2. N. L. BUROHELL. TELEPHONE.

No. 552,816. Patented Jan. 7,1896.

fizwiaioz wryallfiwzwizell. J? pg 40km l GHANA UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

NORVAL LANDON BUROHELL, OF IVASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TELEPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,816, dated January '7, 1896. Application filed October 29, 1895. Serial No. 567,274 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that 1, Norman LANDON BUR- CHELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vashington city, in the District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Telephones, of which the following is a specification.

Itis the purpose of my invention to provide a telephone with an electric lamp, so arranged that its light may illuminate the instrument and the space immediately about the telephone, whereby the person using the latter may be able to write notes of message sent or received or use the light for other purposes.

It is one object of my invention to so combine an incandescent lamp with a telephone that it maybe switched into circuit at will or permitted to remain unlightcd, according to circumstances or the desire of the user.

It is my purpose also to provide for automatically cutting the light out of circuit, after it has been used, by the same movement that cuts out the local transmitter and receiver and restores the bell-coils to the mainline circuit.

My invention also contemplates the provision of a switch adapted to make a quick break of an electriclight circuit arranged to supply a lamp upon a telephone, said switch being automatically operated to open the lamp-circuit upon the restoration of the parts of the telephone to place after use.

Finally, it is my purpose to combine an incandescent lamp and lamp-circuit with a telephone, to interpose a quick make-and-break switch in the lamp-circuit, to operate said switch to open the lamp-circuit automatically by the restoration to place of the parts of the telephone after use, and to switch the lamp into circuit when required by a brief extension or prolongation of the same movement that restores the telephone to place after con versation terminatessaid movement being resisted by a suitable spring or springs, whereby the telephone may be used, if desired, without using the lamp.

The invention consists to these ends in the novel featuresof construction and in the new and improved parts and combinations of parts hereinafter fully explained, and then particularly pointed out and defined in the claims which conclude this specification.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my said invention pertains to fully understand and practice the same, I will now pro ceed to describe said invention in detail, reference being had for this purpose to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view showing a telephone in side elevation, part of the box being broken away and the interior shown in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a front elevation upon a somewhat larger scale, showing the switch which makes and breaks the circuit of the lamp with the parts that operate said switch. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the switch, showing means for producing a quick make and break to avoid arcing. i is a detail perspective showing the switch and its open ting devices in the position they occupy when the lamp is out of circuit. Fig. 5 is a side elevation show ing the same parts in two different positions, denoted by full and dotted lines, and illustrating the means for preventing accidental operation of the switch. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section showing the spring-buffer.

The reference-numeral 1, in said drawings, indicates any ordinary telephone-box, it being premised that my invention is applicable to any type of apparatus now in use. For the purposes of this description, however, I have selected that improvement in telephones which is described and shown in an application for Letters Patent filed by me upon the 31st day of July, 1895, Serial No. 557,69i, and also in United States Letters Patent granted to me the 19th day of February, 1895, No. 534,547, and July 11, 1893, No. 501,405, said Letters Patent having certain essential parts in common with my presentand prior applications.

I have shown in the accompanying draivings those parts only of the telephone which are directly associated with my present invention. In this type of construction the parts of the telephone are supported by an arm 2, having a pivotal bearing 3 between lugs i which project from the lower part of the metallic frame 5 of the magneto-call generator. As shown and described in myprior application and in my patent of February 19, 1895, the armature of the generator is revolved by means of a rack-bar (3, (shown in Figs. 1 and E. of the accompanying drawings,)

said bar being arranged in this instance to slide vertically between two parallel parts '7 of the frame 5. The rack-bar is reciprocated by turning the arm 2 upon its pivotal hearing 3, the arm being connected to it bya pitman 8, pivoted at one end between lugs 9 on the rack-bar and at the other end between lugs 10 projecting from the pivotal end of the arm. Raising the arm 2, in order to bring the receiver to the ear, moves the rack-bar clownward and at the same time rotates the armature of the generator with such rapidity as to produce the current required in calling a central or other station.

At a suitable point upon the telephoneboxas, for example, upon its topI mount a rigid, hollow stem or support 12, which is preferably curved substantially like a gooseneck, in order that the incandescent lamp 13, which is mounted upon the end of said stem may project over the front of the box in an inclined position at such height or in such manner that it will not in any way interfere with the operator. The lamp is of any preferred type and of a candle-power adapted to the particular requirements of those using it.

The incandescing filament within the bulb is supplied with current by wires let and 15, which are led through the hollow stem 12. These wires enter the box 1 at any suitable point by way of binding-posts 16, and in the interior they are arranged as shownin Fig. 1 that is, one of said wires, as 15, is led directly to and through the tubular stem to one terminal of the lamp. The other wire is carried to one of the separately-insulated terminals 17 of a switch which is located upon a nonconducting bracket 18, projecting laterally from one of the parallel. parts 7 of the frame 5. From the other and similar switch-terminal the wire is carried through the stem 12 to the second terminal of the lamp. The cir cuit is closed by a switch-arm 19 mounted on a rock-shaft 20, the preferred type of switch being that known as the knife-switch. Upon the rock-shaft, at a suitable point, are formed two flat faces 21 and 22, which intersect or meet at an angle which measures the are through which the arm 19 moves in closing or in opening the circuit of the lamp. A strong leaf-spring 23, secured at one end to the part 7, has bearing near its otherend upon that portion of the rock-shaft having these flat faces. It will be seen, byexamining Fig. 3 of the drawings, that if the rock-shaft be turned from the position shown in said figure in such direction as to carry the switch-arm 19 toward the switch-terminals orto the right, the angle formed by the flat faces 21 and 22 will abut against and force the spring 23 back. As this angle,'however, passes the point where it exerts the maximum flexion upon the spring, the latter acts upon it in a line eccentric to the shaft and imparts a sudden movement to the latter by which the switch-arm is snapped down between the terminals 17, the spring at the same time coming against the other fiat face 22 on the rock-shaft. A similar action takes place in opening the circuit, whereby the separation of the arm 19 from the terminals is so instantaneous that there can be no formation of an arc.

Upon one end of the rock-shaft is mounted a crank-plate 24, provided with a pin 25 which projects over the outer edge of the pitman 8, which is partly removed to permit the pin to pass. When the arm 2 is inthe position it occupies when the telephone is not in use the parts will occupy the position shown in Fig. a, in which the crank-pin 25 lies in front of, and slightly removed from, a shallow notch 26 in the edge of the pitman, near the end which is connected to the lugs on the arm 2. If the arm be raised from this position to bring the receiver to the ear, the pitman will merely pass downward without contact with the crank-pin 25 and the lamp will remain unlighted. In the position of non-use shown in Fig. 1, the arm. 2 rests against a spring-buffer, consisting of a plate 27, sliding in channels 28 in the lower wall of the box 1, which is provided with a notch 29 of a width permitting the arm 2 to enter. The plate 27 rests against springs 30 of such strength as to support said arm properly, but capable of yielding by a moderate pressure on the arm to such a degree as to allow the arm to partly enter the notch 29, as denoted by dotted lines in Fig. 6. In assuming this position the lugs 10 on the end of the arm are carried outward or toward the front wall of the box, thereby bringing the end of the pitman 8 against the crank-pin 25 and turning the rock-shaft to such a point that the spring 23 completes its movement. This closes the circuit of the lamp and lights it, the operation occupying an instant only. The arm 2 is then raised, bringing the receiver to the ear and the transmitter opposite the mouth of the speaker.

lVhen communication by the telephone ceases, the person who has used it restores the arm 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1, and in doing so he automatically extinguishes the lamp in the following manner.

Upon that side of the pitman 8 adjacent to the switch is attached an arm 31, having at its free end a hook 32 lying in line with the crank-plate 24 on the rock-shaft. In the edge of said crank-plate, on the opposite side of the shaft from the crank-pin 25, is formed a lip 33, of hook shape,which lies,when the circuit of the lamp is closed, in the position in dicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6. Returning the arm 2 to the position of non-use carries the rack-bar and pitman upward, thereby causing the hook 32 to engage the lip 33 and turn the rock-shaft far enough to enable the spring 23 to effect the remainder of its move ment, as already described. It will thus be operator.

ITS

the circuit and the lighting of the lamp depends wholly upon the action of the operator, it being necessary to press the arm inward, against the resistance of the buffenfor a very short distance. As some persons may not require the lamp it is desirable to avoid the consumption of current that would follow from making the closing of the lamp-circuit automatic.

The necessity existing in all large cities of placing the telephones in positions remote from the noise of the streets, as well as the bustle of crowded interiors, has led to their being placed commonly in closets, corners or inclosures, which are almost or entirely deprived of light. The use of the instrument under these circumstances is inconvenient and sometimes dangerous, owing to the common habit of lighting matches to obtain light and then throwing them, often but partly extinguished, upon the floor. The recording of a message or of any memoranda received, which is frequently a matter of the highest importance, is practically impossible in the majority of telephone-stations without artificial light. The chief objection to furnishing such light in the ordinary manner lies in the fact that nine out of ten people using the instrument will. depart without turning the light out, thereby causing a considerable item of expense. Moreover, the difiieulty of finding the switch-button on a wall-lamp leads to the use of matches and the danger of fire, while with my invention there can be no difficulty in finding the telephone, and that done the lamp is ignited instantaneously and with perfect case. It is usually the case, also, that a person wishing to use atelephone isobliged to consult the printed list of subscribers before calling upon the central station to put him in connection with the station he desires to call up. For this and the other reasons named I prefer to make the closing of the lamp-circuit not only dependent upon the will of the operator, but independent, also, of any action by which a call may be sent into the central station, thus giving the operator time to ascertain the number of the station he wishes to communicate with.

In the preceding description I have spoken of the position of the parts of the telephone when the latter is not in use, meaning thereby that arrangement of the circuits in which the transmitter and receiver at any local station are cut out of circuit and the bell-coils switched into the main line.

lVhat I claim is 1. The combination with a telephone of an electriclamp and lamp-circuit, and means operated by movement of the telephonic apparatus to the position of non-use for opening the circuit to extinguish the lamp, sub stantially as described.

2. The combination with a telephone of an electric lamp and lamp-circuit, a switch to close said circuit, and means operated by movement of the telephonic apparatus in restoring the same to its position of non-use for opening said circuit and extinguishing the lamp, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a telephone of an electric lamp and lamp-circuit, a switch to close said circuit at the will of the operator, and means operated by movement of the telephonic apparatus to the position of non-use to open the lamp-circuit and extinguish the lamp, substantially as described.

a. The combination with a telephone of an electric lamp and lamp-circuit, a springpressed switch, a movable or adjustable support for one or more of the parts of the tele phone and means operated by said support to operate the switch to close or open the lamp-circuit, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a telephone of a lamp, a lamp-circuit, a switch interposed in said circuit, a movable or adjustable support for one or more of the parts of the telephone, and means operated by said support to operate the switch to close or open the lamp-circuit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NORVAL LANDON BERG-HELL.

\Vitnesses G. WV. REA, 'inos. A. GREEN. 

